Did you know that anger is a completely healthy and normal emotion? How many people saw “Inside Out”. Anger is a hilarious character in the movie and it shows the importance of all the emotions, including anger. Anger is a signal to our brains that something just isn’t right. If we didn’t get angry, people would walk all over us. We wouldn’t have the momentum needed to make change in our lives.
Here’s the caveat: it’s not anger that is the problem, it’s what we end up doing with our anger. People hit out people out of anger. People do destructive things out of anger, especially when the anger is out of control. If your anger gets out of control there are some tips and techniques you can use in order to express your anger in a healthy manner.
1.Scream into a pillow
A tried and true way to get out that residual anger you are feeling. Screaming into a pillow can be extremely therapeutic and cathartic. It allows you to get your body into the process and really let go. Pushing anger out and removing it from your body is a helpful strategy to reducing overall tension levels. Try screaming into your pillow today and scale your anger before and after the exercise.
2.Shout in your car
If screaming into your pillow seems a little awkward to you, you can try screaming in your car. Screaming in your car gives you a little more privacy, especially if you live with people. Screaming in the car, either specific words and sentences or just allowing the anger to come up in any manner is an effective tool in reducing overall feelings of frustration.
3.Write a letter to the person
You’ve got to let out your feelings and one great way to do that is to write that person a letter. Let them know how you feel and what is making you angry. Tell them all about themselves but don’t send it. The letter is for you, not for them.
4.Listen to angry music
My personal favorite is anything by Rage Against the Machine. Talk about some angry music. It’s the perfect music to put on that allows me to get in touch with my angry feelings, especially when I am trying to connect with my angry teenager. What songs evoke anger in you?
5.Talk to the person like they are there
Take some time and talk to the person you are angry at like they are there. Just like writing the letter, let out all of your feelings of anger. If the feelings are too big, doing this exercise with a therapist will help to you to express and then contain your feelings.
Anger is a normal feeling. Expressing it in a healthy manner is an important part of life. Being able to modulate feelings of anger is a skill that is needed in order to deal with life’s stressors. Next time you get angry, try one of my tips and see if you can work on letting go of anger more quickly and not engaging in destructive patterns when you get angry.
Amanda Landry, LMHC, CAP decided to become a therapist while attending Nova Southeastern University. She saw the need to help people achieve the life they wanted to live, while creating a life of her own. She completed her master’s in Mental Health Counseling and started a career in the juvenile justice arena. Since then, she has started a private practice in Pembroke Pines, Florida, specializing in depression, anxiety relationship issues, and substance abuse. Amanda is a believer in holistic treatment and she practices veganism, meditation and yoga in her life. Find out more about her practice here. For a free 15-minute consultation, call or text Amanda at 954-378-5381 or email her at amanda@amandapattersonlmhc.com.